Final answer:
A child who lacks basic security and protection from a parent is likely to develop a disorganized attachment style, displaying erratic behavior when the caregiver returns, often due to abuse or severe neglect. In contrast, a secure attachment forms when a caregiver acts as a sensitive and responsive secure base, promoting a safe environment for exploration and emotional development.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a parent fails to provide basic security and protection, a child is likely to develop what is known as a disorganized attachment style. Children with disorganized attachment might exhibit behaviors such as freezing or running around the room erratically upon a caregiver's return, which are indicative of the disruption in their ability to regulate emotions, often a result of abuse. Disorganized attachment is characterized by a lack of a coherent strategy in dealing with the attachment figure, displaying confused and contradictory behaviors.
In contrast, the secure attachment style arises when the child uses the parent as a secure base from which to explore their world. This form of attachment is displayed when the caregiver is responsive and sensitive to the child's needs, allowing for a healthy bond and sense of safety as the child interacts with their environment. Caregivers of securely attached children are typically attentive and reliably present, offering comfort and fostering independence.
The attachment styles of anxious-resistant and anxious-avoidant are typically a result of caregivers who are inconsistently responsive or detached and inattentive to the child's needs, respectively. Anxious-resistant children tend to display clingy behavior and resist the caregiver's attempts to comfort or interact, whereas anxious-avoidant children may seem indifferent towards the caregiver and do not seek them out as a secure base.